Take a look at the history of the Orlando Toyota Tacoma

October 24, 2013 By Spencer Siviglia

When you get behind the wheel of any of our new Toyota in Orlando, you know that you’re getting a dependable ride for years to come. After all, Toyota has been making cars since 1937, when it was founded in Japan. Since then, it’s produced over 200 million vehicles! Each one has a rich and interesting history to offer, plus the reliable performance that’s made so many of them best-sellers. One of our favorite vehicles has to be the Toyota Tacoma in Orlando – this versatile truck has been around for almost twenty years, and it’s been the best-selling compact pickup truck for the past eight! It additionally has been given nods of recognition for incredible resale value by more than one company… if you’re in the market for a new Toyota truck in Orlando, this one is right up your alley.

The Toyota Tacoma in Orlando is nearing its 20th anniversary

However, where did it all start with the Toyota Tacoma? Believe it or not, Toyota has been making trucks for quite some time. Their first truck was put out onto the market in 1947; the Toyota Tacoma didn’t come along until 1995. It was developed and produced in order to take the place of the iconic Toyota Pickup. Basically, Toyota wanted to bring a new Toyota truck that was more emphatic about a comfortable drive time, better handling, and more safety features. The new Toyota Tacoma in Orlando definitely delivered!

Explore the beginnings of this iconic new Toyota truck!

So far, we’ve seen two generations of this iconic new Toyota truck in Orlando. Like we said, the first generation hit the market in 1995 with the aim of providing customers with a truck that was adaptable enough for work AND personal use. Let’s take a look at some of the notable dates in the first generation!

Even back then, the Orlando Toyota Tacoma was versatile and gave you plenty of choices to consider. You could get it in manual or automatic, 2- or 4-wheel drive, and choose between three different engines (2 different 4-cylinder options and one V6 option). Gas mileage was also pretty impressive, with the 2.4L 4-cylinder offering up to 29 mpg!

In 1998, Toyota decided to bring the PreRunner models into the picture and gave this new Toyota truck a little refresh, introducing more style and safety features.

In 2001, the special edition S-Runner was thrown into the mix with a hint of sportier style and better performance capabilities.

The second generation of this incredible truck hit the market in 2005 (also the year it became the best-selling compact pickup in the country). This was also the year that the iconic X-Runner was brought into the equation with its unique style and sportier performance capabilities.

2009 was a big year for Toyota – they moved the production of this truck from Mexico to its current home in San Antonio, TX AND gave it a refresh in terms of appearance and safety!

With the 2014 Toyota Tacoma, we’re still in the second generation… but we can’t wait to see what future model years will bring to the table! Come out and take any of our Toyota trucks for a spin today. We’re open seven days a week until 10pm and we’re very conveniently located – just of I-4 near the Millenia Mall!